


your wonderland is in another rabbit hole

by xShieru



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety Attacks, Canon Compliant, Dancing, Drinking, Gen, M/M, Temporary Amnesia, could be read as friendship or pre-slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-18 06:48:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11868879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xShieru/pseuds/xShieru
Summary: Remembering was hard when you didn't have much to hold onto.(or: Sabo goes on a mission and encounters the ghost of his past.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> when you write a thing that you end up hating but decide to post it anyway since you put effort into it  
> catching up with one piece was a mistake

Sabo’s office was empty.

Koala exhaled in order to calm the surfacing tension, and hastily set out to look for her friend and fellow colleague, already having a rough idea as to where he might be. It wasn’t unusual for Sabo to slip out unnoticed – he always walked with purpose, shoulders pushed back and head held high, thus no one ever paid any attention and let him through, never keeping track as to where the commander went – and lately it was happening more and more often. Their medic said that it might've had something to do with his returning memories and while Koala didn’t probe at the subject too much, she knew that it wasn’t far off the truth.

Sabo wasn’t too good at keeping secrets in his time of need, relying on Koala wholeheartedly. They had each other’s backs not only in battlefield but more personal matters as well and they always told each other nearly everything, from innermost musings to basic things, such as peculiar encounters that they had on their respective solo missions which often resulted in some hilarious stories relayed to the rest over the dining table.

Koala spotted Sabo’s blond locks immediately, their color a stark contrast against the dark gray sky promising rain. The man was sitting in his usual spot, or as Koala dubbed it, his private musing corner, looking out into the distance as though the mountain peaks had the answers to the numerous questions clearly plaguing his mind. Koala considered leaving him alone but then quickly remembered that Sabo could easily spend half a day drowning in muddled thoughts if no one bothered to step up and bring him back to the world of living, thus she bravely marched up to the ladder which Sabo used to haul his ass up on the rooftop and climbed up to join him.

He had that distant, clouded look in his eyes again, and just as she'd expected, Sabo's gaze was unseeing. As per usual, he was thinking of the lingering ghosts from his past, trying to recall faces, names, _facts_ , but drawing blanks every single time. It was almost as though his memories were constantly scratching at the surface but the shock from that fire, combined with the fear and the near-death experience had built a sturdy, impenetrable wall that no amount of careful probing could break in half. Sabo didn’t dwell on it all that often, rather focusing on the present and the people that he had in his life right now, but whenever he slipped up and switched into one of his bizarre moods, he always put his everything into it, consciously or not.

Koala wrung at the folds of her skirt, playing with the loose threads that were poking out here and there, and waited. Seconds turned into minutes and she was beginning to get anxious, wondering if she should forcibly bring Sabo back to reality and kindly remind him that they had an unfinished mission plan to attend to when he spoke up on his own, no push needed, “Do you ever think about the people that you used to know and got along with? Back then.” Sabo shot Koala a brief sideways glance, lips puckering up – a sign that she was free to not answer the question if it made her uncomfortable in any way.

Despite the passage of years, Koala still stiffened up at the memory of her… _experiences_ as a slave. There were many of them there, far too many, and no one ever attempted to get to know each other on a deeper level, knowing perfectly well that they could kick the bucket any second now. Why bother making friends when they could die the following day? Right in front of your eyes, if you were unlucky enough. And for what? Showing a speck of some emotion? Looking up at the wrong moment? Scrubbing the floor a few centimeters off the assigned area?

“No,” Koala answered truthfully, shaking her head to the sides. She took a moment to calm down, shoulders gradually sagging. “I knew a girl. Once. She was gone a week later for…” a pause, “for dropping a cup. Her mother tried to step up for this injustice and was executed as well.”

Her voice seemed to do the trick as Sabo turned to her with a hard look in his blue eyes, eyebrows pinched – a display of pity and hatred for the nobles. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up any of this. My bad,” he trailed off guiltily, tipping his hat lower in order to shadow his eyes.

Sabo turned back to the bleak horizon, the sparse forests completely overpowered by the mountain range. Another cold breeze swept by and Koala decided to bite the bullet and disperse this stuffy awkwardness. She didn’t need Sabo’s pity – rather she wanted to find out what was bothering her friend. By turning this conversation around, he was escaping his problems, downplaying his feelings and that wasn’t right. Koala had had more than enough experience in that field – just enough of it to know that these ghosts of Sabo’s unknown past would inevitably come to haunt him right before he fell asleep that night.

“Just tell me what’s wrong, Sabo. You’re acting… more weird than usual,” Koala snorted at the sharp nudge directed at her side, swatting the offending elbow away. “You know you can be open with me.”

“Yes, Mother,” Sabo rolled his eyes, cracking a grin when Koala swatted him back for referring to her as such. However it was gone before she knew it, replaced by that faraway look once again. “I asked because I had a dream last night.”

Koala shuffled closer, leaning in to observe Sabo’s profile, wondering if the other had finally remembered something and was waiting for the right opportunity to spring it all up on her when she least expected it. She wouldn’t put such behavior past the other boy, but his face remained stone-like, betraying nothing. “What kind of dream?” she asked with urgency lacing her gentle voice, gnawing on her lower lip in anticipation. What if the people from Sabo’s past weren’t… good to him? Perhaps this was the key to his silence? Did he even remember their faces?

He exhaled then, awkwardly tugging on a golden lock. Tension was rolling off him in waves as his nose scrunched up and after a long moment, he gave up with an exasperated exhale. “I don’t remember. I could see it so… _so vividly_  the moment I startled into awareness but before I could write it down or memorize any of it, it slipped through my fingers,” a pointed look at his gloved hands, “just like that. All I know is that it felt too real to be a dream. It had to be a memory, I know it.”

Koala placed a tentative hand on Sabo’s tense bicep to console him. “There’s no need to feel frustrated. It will come back eventually – Bo said so too, right? You’re starting to remember and the best you can do is prepare yourself for whatever may come.”

“I don’t care about _my past_ , Koala,” Sabo shrugged her off, worrying at his lower lip. “I have no idea what kind of family I grew up in, why I never wanted to return home in the first place and what occurred there. I don’t care if I was the son of a criminal family or a noble – I just… I want to know the ones who mattered. _Remember_ them at least. They linger on somewhere in the back of my head and no matter how much I try, I can’t pull them out. Like today! It was such a pleasant dream that gave me so many good feelings and yet when I opened my eyes, that’s all it was. A dream and nothing more.”

Koala watched him bury his face into his gloved palms, fisting at the straying hair strands and trying to collect himself. “Let’s start from the beginning; what sorts of feelings do you recall? Perhaps this will help you get on the right track?”

“You’re not much of a psychologist, are you?” Sabo snorted, mirthless. Dejected.

Koala puffed out her cheeks in anger. “Well excuse me for trying to help out then! If you don’t need me, just outright say it so that I can return to my neglected pile of paperwork!”

“As if it’s any better than listening to my woes.”

“At least the paperwork doesn’t verbally insult me.”

“It wasn’t my intention to insult you, really.” Koala only huffed out an annoyed “as if!” and crossed her arms at that. Sabo was known for his “I do what I feel like” attitude, often saying harsh things without ever meaning to. “Look, I’m just in a bit of a sour mood. Nothing a few hours of mind-numbing mission planning can’t fix,” he chirped with faux happiness, swinging a fist in a sharp arc a few times.

“You’re the worst liar around.”

“I wasn’t raised as one.”

“You don’t even know that!” Koala bit back, face scrunching up.

“I assume that I wasn’t,” Sabo shrugged in return, supposedly innocent. “Since I’m so terrible at it and all.”

“You know what, if you suddenly forgot me, I’d be dreading the day you recalled my face again. I’d be all “man, piss on that guy”. He was one hell of an insulting douchebag. Blessed be the day he forgot to say mean stuff to me on hourly basis.”

“You know you love me,” Sabo then foolishly poked her cheek like a doofus with a death wish and nearly had it karate-chopped when Koala swiftly brought her hand down. “Ouch! That’s not how post-traumatic therapy works. I told you that you can’t do it.”

“Oh bugger off, Sabo,” Koala decided that she was done horsing around and stood up, wiping off the back of her skirt. “Now if you don’t mind, I have some unfinished work to attend to – something you clearly have no concept of.”

“Now there’s no need for that,” even though she couldn’t see it, the pout in his voice was nearly tangible. Koala was making her way back to the ledge when Sabo called out once more, running her means of escape with the desperation in his tone. She _knew_ that something wasn’t right. “Wait. Koala, please.”

With a defeated sigh she sat back down, not bothering to close the distance or even look her companion’s way. “You know, this would be a whole lot easier if you stopped it with the off-putting dramatics and out of place humor. This is no laughing matter, Sabo. You’re going to lose focus if you keep going on this track.”

“I know. It’s just,” there was a silence, “there was someone _else_ in my dream. I don’t remember what we were doing but… it felt really nice. I think it was something dangerous, I’m not too sure,” he said with a smile in his voice and Koala couldn’t help but quirk her lips upwards as well, not one bit amazed to find out that Sabo likely had a rowdy childhood. It suited him. “All I know is that this person was important to me. I loved them and they loved me back.

When she finally looked back, Koala took notice of her friend's confused expression and the hand pressed to his chest, right over his heart. Sabo zoned out, trying to chase after the feeling but he never quite grasped it. It was warm, fuzzy, and definitely nice. Something he’d rarely felt for others – only those who were the closest to him, Koala included.

“A little crush of yours?” the aforementioned girl teased, placing her hands behind herself to support her weight as she lounged back and tilted her chin to get a better look at the rapidly blinking man.

“I – I don’t think so?” Not like he had much to compare to seeing that he’d spent the entirety of his new life training or running from the marines, too busy to develop any feelings towards passing strangers, not to mention have any romantic affairs with them. “No, it’s probably something else. Definitely something else,” Sabo reassured himself rather than Koala at this point. She wisely said nothing even if she picked up on his reluctance. “But it was pleasant. Despite the adrenaline rush and all.”

“Can’t imagine you in any other friendship if I’m being completely honest. You seem like a ride or die person.”

“You say this as though it’s unexpected and you haven't spent the last six years with me.”

“I’m allowed a moment of hesitation every now and then,” Koala shrugged. “Thanks for telling me, by the way. Keep me updated on this mystery person if anything else pops up,” Sabo could hear the finality in her voice. Secretly, he was grateful for it – he knew that he wouldn’t remember anything else today. Forcing himself only ever made things so much worse. He tried it before – mostly back when he was still a newbie at the Revolutionary army. Clinging to some faceless, shapeless ghosts provided him with a source of comfort whenever he was being introduced to all these shady-looking people who would one day become his comrades, brothers and sisters in arms.

“Will do,” he assured and stood, helping Koala up on her feet as well. “Now then, last one to the office is a rotten egg and has to give the winner their desert. I heard that it’s cheesecake night.”

“You’re on,” Koala smirked and they nearly jumped off the roof in their haste to get to the ground.

* * *

 

When Sabo was back in his little office – ah, the luxuries of being the commander of an army made up of rebels, he actually had some space for himself which could be referred to as his room, and it even contained a sofa that served as his bed more often than not – with a growling stomach because Koala had beat him to the office by ten centimeters, he dimmed the lights and sprawled out on the blueprint covered “bed”. He rolled over and began gazing at the ceiling, carefully probing at his chest area and chasing the feeling of lingering warmth.

Night times were the worst.

Empty thoughts plagued his mind whenever he was particularly stressed and felt like screwing himself over even further by trying to recall right about anything, but his post-shock amnesia was still kicking strong as ever, even after all these years. Sabo was already nineteen, well on his way to his twenties, and living out his days in the semi-looming darkness was becoming a bit of a mental burden. He tried to ignore his past but it always found new ways to haunt him, demanding to be remembered. Faces, voices, dreams – they all continuously painted a smudged picture on the canvas that was his wiped memory, but whenever Sabo stepped back to admire the work, he found it too warped to comprehend, unable to make out any details.

During the first year, he’d wake up drenched in cold sweat, shaking like a leaf and obsessively checking his burn scars. They’d feel unnaturally warm against his palms as if he’d just escaped the hellfire that was the sea on that fateful night, lungs tight and his left eye literally burning. It’d taken a while to get used to being blind in the left side – not that he could remember seeing with both eyes but the discomfort remained – and even longer to catch up to the rest with this handicap of his. He remembered avoiding sleep, training, honing his dragon’s claw, passing out, Hack carrying him back to the barracks, Dragon inviting him to his tent to give him a good scolding, more dreams, fire, two boys, danger.

Wait.

Before his mind stream could continue its flow through his eyes, Sabo jumped up from the sofa, latching onto that detail.

Two boys.

_…who?_

Quickly, he grabbed the journal teetering on the edge of his paperwork-cluttered desk, writing the words down and closing his eyes afterwards, trying to remember anything that would make sense, give him more information.

Time trickled by, hours passed, Sabo remained in the same pose without moving an inch and he didn’t dare to open his eyes, feeling the telltale burn under his eyelids.

Nothing. There was _nothing_.

He only moved from his spot when he heard people walking around outside, getting ready for their morning warm-up routines.

* * *

 

Two days later, after working himself to near coma and repeatedly getting his ass kicked by various men of the army, Sabo deemed himself exhausted enough to allow himself at least some sleep. The sound of it seemed heavenly to his ears but also weighed him down as though it was some sort of cruel punishment that he’d willingly sentenced himself to. In the end, it didn't really matter because his body was far too exhausted to walk in a straight line, no less discuss plans of their next mission with the rest of the staff, so Sabo dutifully ate lunch and then dragged himself back to his room, tying a red scarf on the knob – a sign that he was not to be disturbed by anyone unless the world was ending. He didn’t even bother to take off his shoes before he crashed face-forward into the squeaky sofa and passed out, his last lucid thought making a connection with someone from his past – someone who would also pass out at random moments.

His dreams felt like some hallucination – as though he was feverish and overthinking instead of sleeping, semi-aware of his surroundings, the sounds of heels clacking outside whenever someone passed the office, people conversing. Sabo was drifting in and out, as bursts of colors exploded underneath his sandpaper-like eyelids – bright and exotic; blue of the sky, turquoise of the sea and various greens of the jungle – and he heard the distant sound of laughter. Sabo craned his neck up to see a smudge of browns and reds in the shape of a person, working on what seemed to be some sort of construction suspended in the tree.

A treehouse, clearly.

Sabo’s small hand wrapped around something hard –  a pole? A tool? – as he looked around and then said something to the blurry person. They replied, voice undeniably boyish, and the more Sabo looked, the more shapes he could make out on that lineless splash of color. It felt as though he was in a serious need of glasses, the blur getting in his way, a little annoying.

He seemingly wasn’t in control of his body too, because he nodded at whatever the kid said and picked up a sturdy-looking piece of wood off the ground, going to the suspended rope ladder and skillfully climbing it, carefully passing it to the other.

“How much longer until we’re done?” he heard himself ask in his current voice. None of that kid-like squeaking. Sadness and disappointment gripped at Sabo's chest at the fact – his subconscious was successfully blocking out everything that would give him any sort of hint as to what was occurring. Gradually, he felt himself becoming more and more aware of his current surroundings –  at this point, waking up was inevitable. Sabo clung to the remains of this dream, _memory_ , tooth and nail, unwilling to open his eyes just yet and forget everything the moment wakefulness took him hostage.

The kid lowered what seemed to be a hammer and hummed through the two nails placed in his formless mouth – how Sabo knew that, he had no idea, seeing that he wasn’t able to make out anything of importance – giving his handiwork an appraising look. “Not sure. You never know it with this weather and repairs tend to take a while. What do you think, Sabo?”

The image was warping at insane speeds and before Sabo could answer, it faded out and he found himself staring at the dirty ceiling of the office and his extended arm, grasping at nothing.

His long hair was sticking to his forehead in an uncomfortable way and Sabo knew that he was in a desperate need for a shower when he answered to no one in particular, “I think… it’ll take a few more days…”

A name was sitting right at the tip of his tongue, craving to be set free, but it just wouldn’t come. He didn’t know that name, not yet. He figured that it must belong to the one from his dream.

He barely remembered it anyways. Sabo had a distinct feeling that there _was_ someone else in it, if his desperation was anything to judge by. He just wasn’t too sure. He might’ve been talking to himself if anything.

Sabo pulled the leather-bound journal closer, flipped it to the marked page and wrote down two words: jungle and treehouse.

* * *

 

“Sabo, pass me the hammer, please,” Koala asked and insistently wiggled her fingers in his direction, legs folded on the ladder that seemed godawfully unsteady.

Sabo looked up at her from an area that Koala had deemed “peeking-under-the-skirt” free and tipped back his hat to assess the damage and get a better look at the sorry excuse for a cardboard that was meant to cover the wall which Koala had all but kicked in when they were busy sparring. Hack yelled out a garbled “my dojo!” and after a lot of scolding, the Fishman pushed the tools necessary to fix the paper-thin walls into his pupil's arms. “How come you take the nails but forget the hammer, sheesh,” Sabo bent down to pick up the tool, a bizarre feeling rising in his chest. Déjà vu was hitting him hard but he couldn’t put his finger around it. Then again he and Koala were often stuck repairing the stuff that they broke mid-spars so it wasn’t all that weird. He placed the tool in her waiting hand with a wary look. “Seriously, I can’t bear to look at you up there. You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“Then steady the ladder, jackass,” Koala muttered and placed the nails in her mouth. Sabo stared, suddenly feeling very, very lightheaded. “Hello? Sabo? Anytime today? Or are you going to pull a macho gentleman act on me and tell me to get down because you can do this faster?”

“Koala, be quiet for a bit,” Sabo shushed her, putting a free hand to his forehead. It felt as though Koala had taken the hammer and purposefully dropped it on top of his head. “I’m having a vision.”

“What?” Koala looked down, more than a little annoyed. “Sabo, what the hell are you talking about? Did I hit your head too hard or something – _oh_ ,” she stopped herself mid-sentence, the pinched frown replaced by confusion and concern. The blond man looked as though he was about to pass out. “Are you okay? Seriously, you weren’t _lying_ when you told me that you got enough rest last night, right? I wouldn’t have agreed to spar otherwise.”

He didn’t answer so she jumped off the ladder with the grace of a newborn gazelle, going down to her knees to join her unsteady friend who was busy hugging his waist, bent over his folded legs. Sabo's eyes were squeezed shut, eyebrows twitching to ward off the _pain_ , face pale and beginning to collect beads of sweat.

“…Sabo?”

He only took off the hat and placed it on the wooden floor, rubbing at the sides of his head, breath growing labored.

“Sabo, you’re scaring me. I’m gonna call Hack and - ”

With a swift hand motion, he cut her off mid-sentence, swallowing a few times before speaking up again, eyes still squeezed shut and throat ridiculously parched. “Don’t – tell him. Or anyone. This isn’t a health thing, I think I just… remembered something,” Sabo rasped and Koala gaped, incredulous.

She blinked a few more times to process the information, placing her hands on Sabo’s shaky shoulders. “This is… a little _abnormal_ no matter how I look at it. Are you sure you don’t want to visit the medical ward? They’d give you some herb tea and meds. Therapy maybe, since I’m bad at it,” she joked lamely and it seemed to do wonders because Sabo forced himself to crack his good eye open and shoot her a shaky grin, slowly getting his breathing pattern under control.

They spent a few moments like this, Koala soothing her friend with awkward shoulder pats and Sabo fighting off his anxiety attack, suddenly feeling a whole lot better now that he actually remembered his warped dreams better. When he had enough breath in his lungs to speak up, he faced Koala, smiling softly. “He was my best friend. We went on adventures together and we even built a treehouse together, I assume. He was… good at building stuff, I think. Kept the nails in his mouth just like you do. There was a ladder involved as well and seeing you up there – Koala, you brought me back my memory by forgetting the tools on the ground. You lovely genius!” Koala’s eyes were the size of balloons, growing in width as the distance between them shrunk, Sabo’s eyes sparkling in excitement. She wasn’t ready for one of Sabo’s notorious hugs, nearly falling over to the floor as the blond laughed, happy beyond belief due to his little memory. She awkwardly returned it, patting the boy’s wide back, pleased to hear this news.

Someone yelled “oh for the love of god, get a room!” but they were too busy wrapped up in each other to actually react to it like they usually did – heatedly denying all and any rumors implying that sort of relationship between them.

* * *

 

Sabo was in a wonderful mood for the rest of the week, his productivity levels going off the charts. He’d flawlessly presented his mission plan to the members of the staff and Dragon who'd nodded in approval, congratulating him on thinking everything through without missing one or two crucial details like usual. They’d adjourned the meeting after discussing the suspicious movements of some Warlords – the current events happening on Dressrosa being their primary concern – and Sabo stayed behind to tell Dragon about his discoveries. The older man mostly listened, asking a few questions here and there, pleased to know that his Chief of Staff was feeling better and most important of all – getting enough sleep. In fact, Dragon seemed confident enough in his chief's mental state to assign Sabo's personal team to this new mission – they were to check out the underground market of Baltorei, and if their suspicions were confirmed, confront the local mafia unofficially in charge of the town.

To say the least, Sabo was pretty damn excited by the prospect of it, never having wandered into desert areas before, and while Baltorei Peaks wasn’t exactly located in a desert, it was famous for its plains and canyons – thus the name. Sabo was a nerd like no other and he loved learning geography, so he’d spent hours reading over books and travel journals, some of them written by the Revolutionaries, describing the Baltorean sunsets in great detail, to the point Sabo could actually visualize himself standing between the canyons, feeling as though he was trapped between the pink-to-orange gradient stones.

However, Dragon popped his bubble of expectations by uttering a single sentence, “You’ll have to be on high alert at all times – I’ve received some news that other pirates are checking into this as well. Make sure you don’t stand out. I’ll give more details regarding that matter later. Run along now.” Dragon made a shooing motion with his hands and turned back to the window, thinking something over. It was a dismissal as good as any, so Sabo politely bowed and with a confident “sir!”, he left the room, speed walking down the cramped hallways, keeping an eye out for Koala the entire time, more than excited to share the news.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stares at one sentence for 3 hours  
> "lol ok time to go back to dragon age"

They were on a mission the second time Sabo had an agonizing memory rush.

It wasn’t the best time, really – their surroundings were dark, cramped, filled with bats and spiders the size of Sabo’s palm, but they had no other choice but to go down deeper the winding caves, their goal waiting somewhere ahead – a poisonous weapon-manufacturing makeshift lab. If the revolutionaries couldn’t put a stop to it there and then, by the dawn of the following day, the successful results would be shipped off to the nearest pirate-infested towns, and that, they absolutely couldn’t allow.

Sabo’s gloves were still dirty with leftover blood from crushing skulls and splitting muscles – the fight that had occurred by the entrance to the lair had been nothing short of intense and Koala walked with a certain kind of strain to her step – one that came with having your solar plexus kicked too hard. Sabo really hoped her ribs were still intact – she’d surely need them once they reached the “final boss”.

To Sabo, however, the dark and the shadows were way scarier and while he tried to put up a bold front, it completely crumbled apart the moment Koala screeched and instantaneously covered her mouth.

It was a good thing that they were far away from their goal otherwise that might’ve posed some problems.

“What is it?” Sabo hissed, senses heightened as he looked around with wide eyes, cursing his blind side. If some spider was crawling on his left shoulder he would –

Koala shakily pointed up. Sabo followed the finger’s trajectory and paled, rubbing his face with the hand that wasn’t busy holding the ancient lantern.

Above them, where the cave’s ceiling was the highest and the most hollowed out, there were at least a hundred small, glowering eyes, suspended upside down. Thrice the size of an average bat and an ugly shade of purple, while ferocious, these beasts were extremely lazy during daytime. And luckily for them, they still had plenty of daylight to spare.

“Tequila Wolf’s infamous bats. Shit, why here?” Sabo wondered but then felt like smacking himself – of course they’d get various beasts to interfere with them gaining an easy access to the hidden laboratory. Though he had no clue as to how their targets dealt with the creatures – that must’ve been unpleasant, especially during the night.

“Sabo, will we have to… kill them?” Koala asked in a shaky voice. She then discreetly gripped at her stomach, massaging the still-sore spot. “Is there no other way around? We’ll be wasting precious hours if we decide to go through all of them, considering they don’t get us first.”

The blond only took an uncertain step forward. The beasts blinked, one of them flapped its huge leathery wings in warning, but none attacked. Taking this as a good to go, Sabo took a few more cautious steps, shoulders dropping in relief. They were safe for now, but it’d do them good to find the lab as soon as possible. There was no telling what would happen afterwards and Koala was right – they hardly had a chance in the bats’ territory. There was no doubt in Sabo’s mind that there’d be even more of these creatures up ahead.

He told Koala as such and watched her steel herself before she followed after, the countless beady eyes observing her every step of the way, glowing in the darkness they’d left behind. Whereas Sabo walked with slightly more confidence, somehow subconsciously knowing that nothing too bad would happen, Koala was lagging behind, jumping up at the slightest movements caused by the creatures readjusting their poses of or flying around in an attempt to find more comfortable protrusions to perch on.

Sabo looked back at his friend, noticed how pale she’d gotten even in the dim light of the lantern, and then mindlessly reached out a hand, curling his fingers a bit as if to beckon Koala to step closer. “If you’re scared you can hold my hand,” Sabo offered, trying to keep his tone casual and face expressionless but Koala, of course, glared at the gloved fingers suspiciously.

“As if!” she huffed and then squeaked when one of the bats screeched behind them as if sensing the lie. “It’s just dark in here and I can’t see the ground, so it’s… a little hard to keep up with you. Not to mention the fact that both of us have received some nasty blows out there. Besides, how can you be so calm around wild animals? Ones that apparently attack humans, too. I’m not even sure how you do it – Sabo?”

But it was already too late, Sabo having zoned out mid-speech, staring somewhere over her shoulder. Koala warily turned around as well, fists tightening just in case, ready to defend, but she heard no noise, none made by an enemy anyways. They made sure to get rid of the bodies so no backup should be arriving anytime soon.

Sabo, however, wasn’t seeing the cave – well, he was, but somehow it had warped, changed, as though someone was repainting a picture right before his eyes. The darkness from where they’d came from turned into a scenery of dark purples and cobalt blues, sprinkled with distant whites – they were stars, Sabo realized – and the cave itself seemed less… spooky. Less cramped.

Jagged edges were replaced by smoother lines, thin spider webs of moss sprouting up near the formless entrance that gaped like some deformed maw.

The flickering light seemed a little stronger, brighter.

In the darkness of the tunnel, Sabo saw himself, nine years ago.

He was shaking in his boots even though the exit was right there – still a young child, the stories of the boogeyman and other various night crawlers fresh in his head, sitting at the forefront of his eyes. Little Sabo silently observed his surroundings, the shadows elongating due to the small flame flickering within the confines of its lantern, nearly snuffing out when a gust of wind blew by – its lid wasn’t secure enough judging by the looks of it. He didn’t know what little Sabo was looking at but it must’ve been pretty scary in the eyes of the child because his young counterpart took an uncertain step back and then looked back at his companion – another child with an equally terrified disposition.

Somehow Sabo had an inkling as to who the other boy might be, but continued to patiently wait, eyebrows scrunching up at the way this memory in particular was playing out – like a lucid dream.

“This was a bad idea,” young Sabo said, voice trembling. He tried to swallow down his nerves but it didn’t help one bit – the high-pitched voice remained the same. Terrified. “Perhaps we should head back? I think the villagers are already looking for us.” So this Sabo used to live in a village…?

The other boy shook his head in defiance and cradled the “weapon” – a sturdy stick that would definitely be more than capable of dealing damage - closer to his chest, unsettled still. His dark hair fanned out over his smudged face drawn in quick strokes of pastels. Sabo made out no distinctive features that would help him recognize the boy, make him stand out from his messy dreams. “No! We gotta press forward. We’ve been avoiding this cave for months now and we _must_ to do this. Otherwise we won’t be able to call ourselves pirates!” _Pirates, huh? That’ll be worth remembering, if he even does that is._ “Th-think of it as an unavoidable challenge! A test of courage.”

Sabo blinked as he watched his younger version crack a crooked smile, throwing a look of endearment over his shoulder, teasing lightly, “Your voice stuttered just now.”

“Did not!” the other snapped defensively, shifting into what Sabo assumed to be a fighting stance.

“Did too.”

“Ugh, whatever!” the nameless kid huffed in annoyance, stomping down a foot. “If you’re not going to do it then I will!” he then poked at the backs of Sabo’s thighs with the stick. “Onward.”

Young Sabo yelped in pain, rubbing at the sore spots through the blue shorts. “How come you’re the one staying back and ordering me around while I’m supposed to pave the path?”

“Because you have to do it for your captain, first mate!” the kid exclaimed smugly, terror momentarily forgotten. Something squeezed within Sabo’s chest at the image, at the familiar look he saw on his own face. The squeezing sensation began spreading until it reached his head.

“Who said that you get to be the captain?”

“I did. Just now,” the shapeless boy smugly announced his dibs with what Sabo assumed to be a cheeky smile. “Now, let’s go. The others will come looking for us before we manage to travel further.” The kid pressed, not in a bossy manner though. Young Sabo sighed in defeat and faced his source of horror once more, taking a few resolute steps until a twig snapped under his heel. The sharp sound echoed inside the cave, startling a huge bat napping in its darkest part. The creature took off, its leathery wings nearly hitting the wide-eyed kids. Intimidated by its closeness, they screamed, clinging to each other for moral support and nearly falling over in the process.

The dark-haired kid dropped his weapon in favor of clawing at young Sabo’s clothed, bony shoulders. His grip appeared to be tight to the point where Sabo’s older version could nearly feel it on himself, absentmindedly touching the cramping, tense spots.

“It was just a bat,” the duo sighed simultaneously, the previous spur of foolish courage long since forgotten. The dark-haired kid picked up the staff, visibly shaking. Little Sabo was in no better condition, pale and sweaty, readjusting his hand on the lantern. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if it was easy, huh.” He desperately attempted to put up a tough front but it was weak at best and glanced back at his companion who was showing no signs of moving forward anytime soon. Sabo immediately put out a hand, determinedly looking everywhere but the kid’s face. “Hold onto it if you’re scared,” he stuttered out after the other made no move to do as Sabo had implied.

The kid stared at the quivering hand some more, silently contemplating the pros and cons, weighing his options, and then slowly eased his fingers into it. The staff, now held in only one hand, nearly groaned in protest at the force behind the boy’s tight grip. The duo began walking in the direction which held the darkest spots of the spacious cave, the faceless boy lagging behind whenever Sabo hastened his pace, clearly wanting this “test” to be over and done with.

They bumped into each other as another suspicious rustling sound reached their ears, going pale. Instinctively, Sabo pushed his free arm out and behind himself to keep the other boy out of danger’s way just in case some wild animal came hurtling towards the exit with all intentions of tramping them in the process.

The boy wasn’t too pleased by the abrupt action. “I can protect myself, you know! There’s no need to act like my knight in shining armor.”

Young Sabo shot him a skeptical look and rolled his eyes. “You’re scared stiff.”

The kid exhaled like a small bull but didn’t let go of Sabo’s hand even while he attempted to convince the latter that it wasn’t true. “As if! It’s just too dark to see where I’m going so we have to stick together.” He brought their linked hands to Sabo’s face as if trying to make a point. The blond boy blinked, a little flustered. “Now, we’re gonna wander a little further and then return to - ” a static noise drowned out the rest of the boy’s sentence and Sabo squinted in confusion, rubbing the bridge of his nose, the headache becoming almost unbearable, “…is gonna flip when we tell him. One day he’ll have to go through this too.”

Sabo watched his younger version reply to that incomprehensible sentence, the words spilling from his mouth equally confusing as though they were being spoken in some unknown language and backwards. Sabo only made out the word “sure” before the scenery of his memories blinked out, twisted, changed, and he woke to a pair of midnight-blue eyes worriedly staring him down.

He almost pulled his neck’s muscles in a desperate attempt to put at least some distance between himself and what was clearly an exceptionally concerned Koala. He didn’t want to, god forbid, throw up on her lap.

Koala seemed taken aback by the sudden physical rejection but let Sabo have his space as he attempted to cough out his lungs. “Oh good, you’re still with me. What was that about? You zoned out for at least a minute and kept touching your scars!” she glanced behind herself once more just to make sure that Sabo really wasn’t glaring at some invisible enemies coming this way.

Sabo remained quiet, shaken by what he just saw. Not even the battle that had had occurred beforehand had managed to wind him up this badly. His knees felt weak underneath him, shaking with strain of trying to support his bodyweight.

Koala returned to his personal space in a blink of an eye, cradling him before he could hit the ground, the tunnel tilting dangerously. Sabo tried to blink back the dizziness and savor the new snippet of his past, a little shocked to find that it had no intention of leaving him as per usual.

“As much as I’d love to hightail it outta here, we have a mission to complete,” Koala sighed, quickly peeling off one glove to check Sabo’s temperature and search for any possible head injuries. She found nothing but sweat-slicked skin. “Did you receive any sharp blows?”

Sabo huffed out a strained laugh and put his head on top of Koala’s shoulder, exhaling a few times and trying to get himself under control. These sudden bursts of memory were beginning to take their toll on his health and he dreaded the thought of these nausea rushes occurring more and more often in the near future. So much shit to deal with just for a single memory. “At least four,” he replied cheekily and visualized his friend rolling her eyes at his supposedly witty replies. “None of them caused this, doc,” he muttered as an afterthought, squeezing his eyes shut. The memory was still very vivid and very real.

“If you’re feeling well enough to sass me, then you’re good enough to stand up and march ahead!” Koala harshly pressed the back of his head straight into her bony shoulder, making his nose painfully bump against it. He attempted to explain himself but it sounded garbled due to the tip of his nose sitting at an unnatural angle and being crushed, mouth meshed against her stained shirt. “What was that? I can’t hear you,” Koala replied smugly and Sabo pushed back her torso just enough to give himself room to breathe.

“I said I had another throwback episode. Sorry for freaking you out. Or freaking out on you – whichever happened first.” Sabo then sat back and fixed his falling hat, tiredly rubbing at his face. The image surfaced before him whenever he blinked too rapidly. “This one was way more intense than the rest.”

Koala didn’t say anything, only put a finger to her chin, stroking it absentmindedly and musing over something. She gave their surroundings a quick onceover, unwilling to let her gaze linger on any of the bats lest the action might annoy them. “I don’t understand, what could’ve possibly triggered it _here_ of all places,” her shoulders stiffened up in realization and she shot Sabo a wide-eyed look. “Unless you’ve been here before?”

“No, I don’t think that’s quite it,” he sighed in response. The twinging headache was becoming less and less persistent. “But I certainly went cave exploring before. I guess it even answers your question from before – the one about me feeling less constrained. If my warped memories aren’t betraying me, I also used to think of caves as pretty scary but then I was forced into getting over these fears of mine. Quite literally too,” Sabo snorted at the vivid memory of the unknown young boy pushing him into supposed danger’s way in order to turn him into a brave pirate of the sea – someone who would have every right to call himself the first mate on a ship. He decided to keep that “minor detail” to himself until he remembered even more things and finally put the puzzle pieces together.

“You… weren’t alone, were you?” Koala wondered tentatively, noticing Sabo’s sudden change in demeanor. He seemed to be thinking about someone else – he had that specific look on his face whenever he did. “Someone was with you, right? The one who goaded you into entering a scary cave with them.”

“Yep!” Sabo shrugged noncommittally, laughing at Koala’s miffed expression. “He was a pushy brat to say the least. That’s my current impression of the kid anyway. And from what I can recall… there were more of us out there. I’m still unsure as to where I might’ve lived per se, but…” he heaved a sigh and stood, picking up the lantern in process. “No use thinking about it right now, we’ve got some criminals to apprehend. Onward, Koala!” he then pointed at the only tunnel leading deeper into the hollow mountain, “we’ll be going that way!”

Koala blinked, staring at her companion as though he’d lost his mind. He’d somehow successfully and smoothly managed to pull a complete 180 in no more than a few seconds, making Koala more than a little impressed. She secretly admired Sabo’s ability to bounce back this easily. If she were in his situation, she’d waste at least an hour just thinking of someone who used to be precious to her and trying to pinpoint the exact location of her old hometown while putting together the clues she already had.

“You’re one strange guy, Chief,” Koala sighed exaggeratedly in faux resignation, feeling affectionate. “It’s hard to believe someone could boss you around. It almost seems surreal.”

“He must’ve been a special case then,” Sabo offered her his hand once more. “Now come. We’re almost there.”

They linked their hands and all but ran the rest of the way to the rumored lab, unwilling to stick around for the hour when the bats would become a little less sluggish.

* * *

 

When Sabo was safely sailing back to the base, he took out his trusty journal and wrote down the recent memory with as much detail as he possibly could, circling the keywords a few times. He then proceeded to crash for the next fourteen hours, only startling into awareness when their captain started banging on the door, notifying him that they’d be arriving in the next thirty minutes or so.

“You actually look well-rested for once,” Koala chirped in a form of greeting, her tidy appearance notifying him that she’s been up and around for a few hours at least. Both of them had managed to complete their mission with only minor injuries involved, the medical team sighing in relief when they discovered that the blood they’d been showered with wasn’t even theirs.

Sabo only scratched at his uncombed hair and stifled an ugly yawn, feeling content and enjoying the salty breeze.


	3. Chapter 3

Baltorei was just as beautiful as Sabo had predicted, his jaw dropping at the sight of peculiar pastel-colored flora and fauna as he wandered off to explore, Hack yelling at him to rejoin them in no more than fifteen minutes. They’d been reaffirming their escape routes from the town which was located ways ahead, situated on a slim strip of plains that divided the canyon area from the wonderful groves. Sabo had been happily poking at a peach-colored lizard when Koala came looking for him, telling him that he’s been wandering for well over an hour and that they couldn’t risk separation on such an important mission. Apparently they’d been calling his name but Sabo had already wandered too far into the west to notice anything.

They gave him an appropriate scolding and all but dragged him to the front gates of the city, “unexpectedly” adorned with chained up slaves on either side – an example to the rest as to what might happen if you were caught stealing from the local mafia. Koala tugged her hat low over her eyes, involuntary shudders rattling her frame, and fisted the back of Sabo’s coat to prevent the revolutionary from rushing in to save the poor men dressed in rags, looking way past the point of dehydration. Even Hack muttered something about the cruelty of humans and disgraceful ways of dealing with criminals but they had to turn a blind eye on the sad sight, pretending to be a band of travelers that had no place standing out in the mish-mashed crowd.

Sabo’s view of the city was rapidly changing the further they travelled, exposed to all kinds of injustices. The local authorities roamed around free and drunken, treating the town’s inhabitants like garbage. It took every ounce of self-control that Sabo had possessed to not straight up punch a man his forties whom they’d asked for directions, getting some rude remarks and no help whatsoever in return. The authorities of Baltorei weren’t supposed to treat their passing travelers like that, seeing that they were supposed to be one of their main sources of income – in the past at least. Baltorei used to be considered a tourist town, people would flock to it from every corner of the land, but it seemed that the times had sorely changed. The man’s nasty behavior had only added to their piling suspicions and Sabo exchanged a quick look with Hack, nodding his reaffirmation. They wished the officer a good day and then whipped out the map with all the landmarks that were even remotely relevant to their mission marked down on it, silently discussing the more weird encounters the moment they were out of anyone’s hearing rage.

After a few more roundabout trips meant to investigate the town, the group had finally reached their hotel, fake IDs at ready – they were now Sano, Kova and Han respectively.

Hack went over the mission plan once more, warned them to avoid causing a fuss or rousing suspicion in any way and reminded the young ones to focus solely on investigating rather than looking around – _yes, I’m looking at you, Sabo_. Hack then took the map and retreated to his quarters, leaving Koala and Sabo to figure out their next steps and divide the town areas worth looking into.

Koala was out of his room when the sun began to set, going south whereas Sabo decided on north, his decision only slightly influenced by his need to see the Baltorean sunset in all its glory. Koala didn’t mind it whatsoever and begged him not to get lost because they really didn’t have much time left to spare. Sabo promised that he’d be back by dawn and set out, the pipe secured on his back just in case.

During the evening hours it seemed that the security was less tight and people slowly began to surface, filling the streets with night life. The architecture was intricate and aesthetically pleasing to look at so Sabo wandered down the main street, observing the townspeople dining on terraces, watering the plants and tending to the neatly lined hedges. He made a point of visiting the marketplace and conversing with the elderly women in an attempt to get some vitally needed information. He mentally checked some of the more important criteria regarding the bizarre authority behavior and casually asked for directions to the rich folk area under the pretense of visiting his cousin who supposedly lived there. They didn’t seem too suspicious, taken in by his neat looks and special occasion-worthy garb, rattling off the directions without a second thought.

Sabo had kindly thanked them, took his small bag of groceries – Hack and Koala were big suckers for foreign peaches – and travelled towards the dangerous area that would more than likely be up in flames in no less than four days. For a place of grave importance it certainly wasn’t well-guarded and Sabo was free to check out all the routes leading to the three mansions of interest. The only living things even remotely suspicious of Sabo were the large guard dogs roaming around behind the tall, intricate fences.

Afterwards Sabo was supposed to head back to the hotel and then to a tavern to fish for some more rumors, but once he started moving, he realized that he had no idea from which direction he’d came from.

He then tried to trace back his steps but the cramped streets looked completely identical and he’d spent too much time with his hat lowered over his eyes to notice where he’d been going or memorize any specific details of the seemingly non-important structures. He figured that if he was to head right he’d eventually bump into the statue which signified the divide between the rich folk district and the city center, but the further Sabo walked, the less certain he became, realizing that he should’ve reached it a long while ago. Damn those winding, cobblestoned streets. Why couldn’t they just have three main streets and no dumb alleys meant to confuse poor tourists?

Sabo stood in the middle of a crossroad, trying to figure out as to where he should head next and stewing in his ever-growing frustrations. There were seemingly no people around and that had made things maybe ten times worse. He couldn’t just outright knock on the first door he saw and ask for directions – that was the complete opposite of keeping up a low profile. He checked his pockets for the small _den den mushi_ that he always carried around only to end up emptyhanded, clearly remembering that he’d left it on the table in his haste and excitement to go out and explore the surrounding areas.

Well, Koala was going to have a field day searching for his missing ass. Might as well sit back and wait for someone to pick him up. Sabo had no doubt in his mind that he and Koala would never cross paths if he moved ahead and tried to look for a way out. She’d wander here eventually seeing that this was one of the areas they were supposed to check out.

He tipped his head back and let it press against the side of a tall building and looked at the darkening sky above, rapidly coloring in soft-shaded midnight blues.

“You’ve been struggling for so long that it’s literally painful to watch.” A voice resounded from somewhere above and Sabo immediately went on high alert, sharp gaze searching the rooftops, his hand instinctively resting on the pipe in an almost casual way as to not alert the disembodied voice.  No one was there.

Sabo closed his bad eye, gaze drifting to the stars appearing in the purplish-blue sky. “If you’re here to rob me, I’m sorry to say this but I’ve got nothing on me that’s even remotely valuable.”

The mystery person – a man, Sabo figured – whistled in amusement. “That’s not something I would assume considering your get up, mister. Luckily for you, I’m not here to pickpocket your pantaloons.”

“Then what is it that you want?” Sabo questioned, a little annoyed. He didn’t like not knowing with whom exactly he was conversing with, already on edge because he couldn’t see the other. Whoever they were they had to be a fucking ninja or something because this was ridiculous. “Do you just make fun of lost passersby as a hobby? If so, you should probably change it. One day someone might take it the wrong way.” He then grasped the pipe and shifted – a sign that he was serious.

“Whoa there, blondie, I wasn’t picking a fight with you,” the man pacified. “You look strong but I’m stronger so this would be pretty meaningless. Also I’m a bit too hungry to give a shit about taunts so, you know, you can hold onto that glove you’re about to throw down, man. Lower your weapon so that I can come down and help you find your way out of here.”

Sabo’s face scrunched up at the strength remark but alas he chose to say nothing, lowering the pipe but never his guard, nearly jumping up when the mystery guy ungracefully landed a little further away, probably taking the blond’s uneasiness into consideration. Sabo couldn’t make out his face due to the lack of light but the person’s voice fit their body type and even in the dark Sabo could tell that the man was on the handsome side. They seemed to be of similar height and age – Sabo noticed that he was a little taller, a small detail that somehow made him feel smug for reasons unknown – and the stranger walked with some sort of laziness to his step, hands shoved in the pockets of his shorts. He seemed a little underdressed despite the dark, unzipped jacket that he wore.

Sabo’s gaze lingered on the other’s sharp collarbones, feeling as though there was something _missing_ around his neck, but quickly chased the odd thought away. This was a complete stranger whom he’d never met before and his ogling might be taken the wrong way if he kept it up.

As if reading Sabo’s thoughts, the man cracked a crooked smile, voice smug when he said “my eyes are up here, blondie.”

It made Sabo’s eyebrow twitch and a painful twinge surface beneath his eyelids, smacking against the back of his skull. It was probably due to how tired he was. “You have eyes, congratulations,” Sabo quipped sarcastically, making the stranger’s wolfish grin widen. “Now, you mentioned something about helping me out of here?”

“You sure are using a bit of a rude tone towards someone who’s kindly offered you their help, blondie. Makes me wonder whether you’re some random rich boy who ran away from home and you’re simply messing with me for the sake of entertainment. And if that’s the case, then you should tell me right away so that I can kick your ass for wasting my time and take my leave, your highness,” the guy mock bowed and Sabo barely killed the urge to smack him with his pole for this insolence. Something about that final comment made something toxic unfurl within Sabo’s chest and tug at his innards.

“First off, my name is not ‘blondie’ or ‘your highness’ it’s – “ shit, don’t say Sabo, don’t, “Sano. And second, I’m in a bit of rush here. I’m just a tourist passing by and honestly I’d rather not stay here for longer than necessary.”

“Well, Sano,” the stranger chirped, not bothering to give out his own name in return and who was the rude one here, really? “I can relate to your feelings because, I too, am just a simple visitor and…” the dark-haired man’s eyes darkened, eyebrows scrunching up, “there’s something seriously off about this town’s vibe.” He then forced a smile and Sabo could somehow immediately tell that it was fake, meant to distract him from the real issue here. “Or that’s just my personal opinion. It’s too cramped in here, the food’s too spicy and the people are too jumpy. Plus I enjoy places with far less buildings,” he explained, supposedly cheerful.

“True that,” Sabo trailed off in a displeased mutter, looking over the other’s shoulder. “Could you help me get to the Grand hotel? It’s where I’m currently staying at and I’ve lost my way while trying to find… a good spot to watch the sunset.” Nailed it.

The nameless man’s sharp eyebrow rose at the rushed explanation, but he didn’t question Sabo any further though it was fairly obvious that he didn’t buy the weak excuse. He figured that no one ever threaded this part of town without a good reason, but if push came to shove, Sabo could always chalk it up to his tourism. “Yeah, the sunsets in this area are something to behold. However, they don’t hold a candle to the ones back in my hometown,” from the way the stranger’s lips quirked upwards just the tiniest bit and his eyes turned unfocused, Sabo could tell that the wanderer was far away from home. That he was missing it. “The sea would look as though it was on fire. Especially when you climbed the highest cliff of the island.”

“Where are you from?” Sabo asked, genuinely curious. They were beginning to walk in the opposite direction as the guy supposedly led the way. Judging by the rapidly approaching noise, Sabo assumed that he wasn’t being led into a trap.

“Goa Kingdom,” the other replied with a shrug but didn’t ask Sabo for any information in return, for which the blond was thankful. Dragon had rescued him from there, right? Talk about coincidence.

However, the lands of Goa were vast and chances that they’ve met before were close to none.

“I’ve been there once before. When I was a kid,” Sabo said to kill the slightly awkward – from his side, anyway – silence. He didn’t know where he was going with this.

The man hummed in approval, looking at his companion. Now that there was more light, Sabo noticed that the stranger was indeed good looking – his face was angular in a pleasing way and those gray-colored eyes were oddly intense but not off-putting. It all felt oddly _familiar._

A flash of color surfaced in the back of Sabo’s mind, his head throbbed in a by-now recognizable fashion, but it was gone before he could even latch onto it.

“How did you like it there?”

“…I was _very young_ so I don’t remember much,” Sabo trailed off his response, eyes falling to the paved streets. “I just know that the nature was… lovely.”

He startled when his companion threw his head back with a boisterous laugh, lengthy hair fanning out in a nice way. It looked soft to touch. He had a kind smile too.

Sabo really needed to stop admiring this weird stranger in such an indecent way. He had no idea why he kept doing it, repeatedly taking in the smallest of details and holding onto them as though his life depended on it. Somehow it provided him with a bizarre sense of comfort.

“That’s not the exact word I’d use to describe it, but it’s pretty damn close. Made the childhood all the more interesting.“ There it was again, that soft, unguarded look. “I was a wild kid and I have no idea why I’m telling you any of this seeing that we just met, but you seem like a decent guy.” The stranger heartily clapped Sabo’s shoulder with quite a bit of force. “Usually I’m a little more suspicious of wandering princes carrying pipes of all things.”

“So am I,” Sabo smiled, feeling pretty good. He was busy studying the guy’s profile when it suddenly lit up in recognition and he pointed into the distance.

“And here we are. Grand hotel,” he then leaned in to whisper to Sabo’s ear in a conspiring way. “Just between you and me, I only showed you the way coz I’m currently staying there as well and by now I know how to find it from every corner of the city.

“Aren’t you a wanderer,” Sabo hummed with a hint of amusement to his voice as they got closer to the towering building, the stranger discreetly touching at the spot right above his collarbones as though there really was something missing there - an accessory of sorts? – confirming Sabo’s prior suspicions.

“You know it,” the man replied distractedly, suddenly walking a little faster. Sure, it might’ve been a trick of Sabo’s imagination or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the stranger was hungry, enticed by the scent of various foods filling the street, but it still struck him as odd.

Dragon’s warning about there being spies flashed in Sabo’s memory like mini alerts going off. He then decided to keep an eye on his fellow companion for the rest of the evening, stopping him once they entered the lobby and the stranger was about to take off in the opposite direction where his own room was located.

“Wait,” Sabo called out in an attempt to grab his attention, and the pretty man turned back, blinking. In this lighting, Sabo noticed how freckled he was.

“Yeah?”

“I was going to hit the tavern in an hour or so and I was wondering if you wanted to,” he found himself stumbling over his words despite it being a simple request related to his mission and not in any way to – “I- I was wondering if you wanted to… join me?” Sabo finished unsurely, cheeks pink from embarrassment. It wasn’t every day that he got to ask out beautiful people to join him for a beer or two. While he was on a mission. Collecting information. God, what was he thinking? Was Sabo even thinking or had the other placed some sort of siren-like charm on him, effectively ruining his ability to think logically along with forming basic sentences.

The wide grin that Sabo was rewarded with was blinding for the lack of better word. “Sure thing!” the mystery boy replied and then made an ok sign, snorting. “But you’re treating me. Keep in mind that I eat a lot, so if your empty walled can’t handle me, I’m giving you a chance to take back your invitation.”

Sabo patted at the area where his wallet resided, thankfully not as empty as he’d made it out to be. He was pleasantly surprised at his consecutive success rate on this fine afternoon. “Just don’t overkill me with bills and we’re good.”

“I promise nothing, blondie,” he laughed and waved at Sabo – a temporary parting. “Meet me downstairs in an hour sharp. If you’re late, I’m leaving.”

And with that he took off, a strange skip to his step.

Sabo smiled to himself and dug into his pockets, looking for the keys, wondering if Koala and Hack were already inside.

* * *

 

The mystery man ended up being ten minutes late and Sabo made fun of him for that till they were about half-way there. The playful banter was easy and enjoyable and it almost felt as though they’d known each other for ages, comfortable even in lapsing silences whenever topics ran dry or they didn’t want to probe too much at each other’s’ life stories. An hour into their not-date, Sabo got fed up with calling the other by everything but his given name so he’d sucked it up and asked.

The dark-haired man seemed a little reluctant to reply for reasons unknown but one long look at Sabo’s face had him caving in. “It’s Ace. Nice to meet you, I guess.”

Sabo was left wondering if perhaps this was a fake name much like his – Ace’d probably figured it out somewhere along the way seeing that he didn’t always react to being called Sano – but it somehow sounded right and their night was pleasant at least, if not for the persistent headache that refused to go away no matter what.

“When my head hurts,” Ace said after his third beer, only slightly tipsy, “I just drink more until it goes away.”

“There’s something flawed in that logic,” Sabo slurred, never much for bubbly booze, strongly preferring sake and rum, already well on his way to intoxication. He really hoped that he wouldn’t forget the conversations he’d had with the barmaid, casually asking about her daily life and the townspeople while Ace discreetly watched him with a hawk-like gaze. Sabo didn’t notice anything, too busy sorting out information and facts. That was two hours ago. This was now.

“That means you need another pint!” Ace chirped excitedly and motioned for the barmaid to pour him another while Sabo muttered a curse into his ale, gaze unfocused.

“No more, I can’t handle it,” he whined pathetically and felt like placing his head on the bar top to soothe the pounding headache, absorb the stickiness which covered the oak wood, along with what little chill its surface provided. The tavern was noisy and filled with energetic music, some of the more drunken couples spinning around in circles on the clearing between the tables that was supposed to count as a dancefloor of sorts. While Sabo enjoyed the hearty sound of violins, they did nothing to help his pains.

“That sounds like quitter talk to me,” Ace poked at his arm, finger unnaturally hot through the thin layer of the white linen shirt that Sabo wore. He’d lost the fancy vest and his travel coat a while ago, cravat undone.

Sabo picked himself up on his elbows, squinting at Ace’s challenging grin and then frowning, probing at his naked chest. It was sweltering inside, but Ace didn’t lose the jacket under any circumstances. Privately, Sabo wondered what Ace was hiding underneath. Scars? Tattoos? Some horrible rash? “That sounds like a challenge to me, sir,” Sabo’s eyes almost crossed and Ace only cackled at his efforts to seem intimidating, doing nothing to remove the finger. Sabo took it as a mute encouragement and then placed his entire palm there, patting a few times. _Nice._ “I’ll have you know that I can drink my boss under the table! Damn right I can,” he reassured, lying through his teeth.

Ace raised his hands, that unnerving, smug smile never leaving his face, “I’m not saying anything, man. If you say so.”

“You don’t hafta say anything for me to know that you don’t believe a damn word I say!” Just for a millisecond, the other’s smile fell to betray confusion. Ha, the kid must be proud in his ability to sweet talk and bullshit to get his way. Well, it didn’t work on Sabo, nope, no, sire, no. The mug thudded before him with a certain sort of finality, its bitter contents swishing around dangerously and threatening to spill out. “A chugging contest, fair and square. First one to set down the mug is the victor. If I win, you pay for your beer,” Sabo abruptly challenged, subconsciously already knowing that he would lose it before he could even properly start.

Ace asked for another pint and turned to his blond companion with a devilish grin. Sabo, even though intoxicated, already knew that he was royally fucked. “Alright, you’re on. But if I win, you will…” his gray eyes travelled to the dancefloor and Sabo felt cold sweat break out on his forehead at the mute implication. “You’ll have to dance.”

“Alone?” Disappointing. Then again it was only logical – why would Ace make a fool of himself when it was Sabo’s loss?

“I’m a bad dancer,” Ace said cheekily, nodding in approval when the barmaid placed the mug right into his waiting hands. “Ready to up your night, Sano?” he then wiggled his eyebrows, lifting the mug to a more comfortable position and getting ready to smoke the other and beat him at his own game.

“Ready to shake your wallet?”

“Yikes,” Ace laughed and waited for Sabo’s signal.

The moment his arm swung down in a sharp arc, Sabo tilted back his head along with the heavy, wooden mug and drank like his dignity depended on it – which it sorta did – getting even dizzier in the process. Ace didn’t seem to struggle whatsoever, even having enough extra time and effort to waste in order to shoot Sabo a sideways glance.

The struggle was real and the fight was evenly-matched – Sabo was surprised to find that he was pretty good at chugging beer even if he spilled a little during the messy process, dirtying his shirt- but as he’d predicted, Ace was the first one to set the mug down with a content sigh. The barmaid clapped, flushed a deep red when the young man complimented her beer.

“You’re not getting sick, are you?” Ace checked Sabo’s flushed face a few minutes later, carefully lifting the golden curtain of curly locks, the drunken man’s cheek stuck to the pleasantly cool bar top. Sabo stuck out his tongue in response and Ace boldly pinched at his scarred cheek, a gentle smile on his face. “Never thought I’d see you this pliant, mister stick in the mud.”

“Jus’ feels good,” Sabo murmured and leaned into the touch even further, barely noticing that his face was way hotter than the back of Ace’s hand.

“You kind of look like a cat when you do that,” Ace then concluded and retracted it before the gesture could attract any weird stares.

Sabo stared ahead, gaze unfocused, mildly offended. “Who told you to stop,” he heard himself whine, too buzzed to care about how dumb he sounded. Like a child throwing a fit.

“Your sore loser’s vibe,” Ace then got up, offering Sabo a hand. “It’s time for you to keep your end of the deal and get out there to shake what your mother gave you.”

“Have you been checking out my assets or something,” Sabo snorted at that with zero self-awareness, taking Ace’s hand. The palm was pretty damn rough, peppered with callouses, grip steady and secure – a fighter’s hand. It made Sabo wonder as to what Ace did for a living.

He observed the dark-haired man’s eyebrows rise at the accusation. “Only a little. Completely unintentionally though.”

“That’s what they all say.”

“You sure have a lot of fans,” Ace laughed it off, not wanting to comment on it any further, and led the stumbling man to the biggest clearing between the round, unsteady tables. The musicians, who’d been playing calmer tunes for well over twenty minutes now, observed the drunken duo with newfound interest shining in their eyes, curiosity piqued. Ace tried to communicate with the pianist through vague gestures, secretly hoping for a fast-paced song.

The older man did not disappoint as he cracked his knuckles, straightened up, and his bony fingers started flying over the ivory keys in such a merry way that Sabo didn’t have to be coaxed into moving, saying something that sounded similar to “I love this song”, humming along to the tune and swaying. More and more couples began entering the dancefloor, ready to twirl their sleepiness away and Ace wanted nothing more than to make his grand escape then and there, but he didn’t have it in him to leave Sabo behind, unsteady on his feet and oblivious to his surroundings.

Mistaking the freckled man’s reluctance for resignation, Sabo casually made himself comfortable by Ace’s side, not fully registering the fact that he was basically being held up, and nudged the shorter man’s cheek with the tip of his flushed nose. “You’re gonna continue standing around or dance with me?”

“I already told you that I’m bad at it,” Ace huffed at the affectionate drunk, the sides of their heads pressed together as they continuously swayed. He showed no signs of moving aside anytime soon. “You should’ve listened to my warnings. If I embarrass both of us, it’s entirely your fault.”

While they were nonchalantly headbutting and nuzzling each other, no one was paying them any heed, too busy with their own lives to question a couple of plastered men.

The music was perfect for an exhausting swing, so Ace just said fuck it and steadied the blondie enough for him to actually dance with, holding onto his forearms to straighten him up – for most of the part, anyways. They glanced at each other, unsure how to proceed now that Sabo was standing before Ace, and it lasted for a good couple of minutes until the former shrugged off the lingering reluctance, clawed onto the remains of his liquid courage, and stepped in closer, waiting for Ace to mirror his movements.

The first few attempts had failed seeing that they were far too busy just stumbling around and muttering curses whenever their toes were being stepped on, but eventually they got the hang of it, mostly after they bothered to put some space between them in order to move more freely. Movement seemed to help Sabo regain at least some semblance to sobriety and before long they were bravely stepping into the fast-paced rhythm, both of them really awful at it.

It didn’t matter because at that point it was far too fun to stop, liberating in a bizarre sort of way, and Ace even dared to bring their linked hands above Sabo’s head to spin him around. It was a little awkward but worked out quite well so they ended up doing it a few more times until the blond got dizzy, tripped over nothing, and stumbled forward. Ace reflexively steadied him by the shoulders before Sabo could crash into him and then into one of the tables. The violinist whistled at the intimate display of impulsive care, winking playfully.

Something strange and fog-like clouded Sabo’s vision once he’d fully realized that he was being cradled. As he took in his dance partner’s face – the gray-colored eyes, the countless freckles forming intricate patterns, the soft, dark hair and the familiar shape of Ace’s nose, his mouth – he realized that something was off. Something was calling out to him from the depths of his hammering rabbit-heart, followed by a painful feeling twisting his gut. It was almost as though he was forgetting something very obvious and important.

Sabo didn’t know how much of it was due to the booze freely flowing in his system but it was still bizarre and Ace’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as he searched Sabo’s eyes, wanting to know the real reason why the other looked so… out of it. “Are you positive that you aren’t sick? Usually dancing shakes things up a bit so you should tell me if you’re feeling bad so that we can stop.”

The blond blinked himself back into semi-awareness, doing nothing to put some distance between them. His knees felt weak again. Despite his suddenly parched throat he still managed to squeeze out some unconvincing excuse, chalking it up to intoxication – which wasn’t a lie, partially, even if at that moment it felt like one.  Ace continued to look at him with that strange worry gleaming in his intense eyes and Sabo began shaking, the gut-wrenching feeling intensifying.

What was he forgetting, damn it? Was Ace causing some sort of déjà vu within his scattered mind? Did he remind Sabo of someone that he used to know?

“We’re going outside for some fresh air. You’re _not_ throwing up in here tonight,” Ace firmly stated and then took Sabo by the wrist, navigating around the small crowd of dancers and weaving through the sea of occupied tables with expert swiftness.

The blond looked up only to find his vision glitching, déjà vu hitting him hard. Another sharp pang behind his eyelids signified the arrival of yet another memory snippet and whenever Sabo looked at Ace’s wide back he saw something else entirely.

The boy in his dreams, smudged more than ever. The harder he tried to cling onto the image, the more it shifted, the kid’s hair switching colors and length as though his mind couldn’t decide what sort of picture it wanted to paint. Ace then morphed into Koala and Sabo was truly about to spill his stomach content on the sticky wooden floor before an audible bang reached his ears and he was suddenly out in the open, the chilly wind caressing his face. The canyons were dark and mysterious to his left, swallowing up the star-spangled, cobalt blue sky.

There weren’t any clouds to speak of and the stars shined so brightly that Sabo had to look away, readjust his sensitive eyes.

Behind him, Ace silently observed, hands placed in the pockets of his shorts. He said nothing when their eyes met and Sabo guiltily lowered his head, apologizing under his breath.

“Nothing to be sorry for?” Ace reassured, still clearly miffed. He was likely surprised to find that Sabo’s fit had nothing to do with an upset stomach or alcohol.

“It happens sometimes,” Sabo tried to explain himself even though he didn’t have any reasons to do so. “I had some… minor health issues in the past and I don’t know what triggers it exactly, but it happens out of the blue and – well, you saw.”

“I did,” Ace leaned back against the tavern’s pale wall. It was seemingly very thick because the cheerful music barely reached outside. “I thought you were about to pass out on me.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I‘ve something like that too. Had it with me since childhood and lately it’s gotten even worse,” Ace awkwardly scratched at the back of his head, looking aside. He seemingly didn’t want to disclose too many personal details. Sabo waited for his jelly-like legs to return to their normal state of being before he joined Ace, thankful that he had something tangible to lean against. The moths circling the lantern suspended above their heads cast warped shadows across Ace’s handsome face. “I tend to crash at the most unexpected moments. I never notice when it happens, but apparently others do. It used to not bother me, I mean, it’s just napping. But then one day I fell asleep on top of my first meal in three days and that was the key moment that changed my perspective on it. The scientific name of my condition escapes me though,” he hummed, rubbing the calloused pointer finger over his sharp chin. “What was it again… Na-something.”

“Narcolepsy?” Sabo offered, already knowing that the answer was correct.

Ace snapped his fingers in reaffirmation. “Yeah, that. Always forget what it’s called. I just call it “random sleep disease”,” he nudged at Sabo’s ribcage, “You’re a smart guy, aren’t you? Not many people know the proper medical term, no less have heard about it before.”

“I do a lot of reading in my spare time,” Sabo shrugged, observing his dusty, black boots. “I tend to forget quite a few things too.”

Ace’s lazy smile fell as though the chilly wind had blown it away. Sabo’s guard was up – he knew it. The topic didn’t bring him any happiness whatsoever, not after his fit at the tavern at least. With a deep sigh, he elaborated, feeling that he owed Ace at least this much.  “I suffered a trauma when I was ten and it caused me to forget a lot of things. Sometimes I remember bits and pieces, like today for example,” Ace’s eyebrows continued to lower as he carefully hung onto every word spilling out of the blond’s mouth. “It’s like my mind doesn’t want me to recall. Which kind of sucks because I’d love to know more about who I was back in the day.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like,” Ace shook his head, gaze downcast and head lowered. His dark hair fanned out before his tired eyes, effectively obstructing Sabo’s view of the man’s angular profile. “There are… certain things I’d rather not remember but I don’t ever want to forget what’s important to me. I’ll never forget,” a sad smile pulled at his lips, but it was gone in the blink of an eye. The moths had finally settled down, slowly roasting to death against the hot glass and metal.

“I shouldn’t have brought this up,” Sabo tried to amend, fully aware of how awkward and strained the silence between them had become. “We should probably head back to the hotel. Sorry that I ruined your night with my abrupt freakout.”

“No, I’m to blame as well,” Ace pushed himself off the wall, readjusting the jacket. “I shouldn’t have accepted your invitation – now it’s all weird and you clearly don’t want to keep on talking about any of this,” he didn’t even bother to mince his words, saying it how it was.

“I had fun though?” Sabo said once they began trekking back in the direction of the city lights, the crickets being the only creatures to disturb the otherwise peaceful night. The tavern was situated far away from the noise and the continuous bustle of the town, a beacon of salvation for those who’d just came from their hikes in the labyrinth-like canyons. The tavern’s business wasn’t suffering despite the lack of tourists as of late – Sabo made sure of it himself. “Until the part where you got creeped out and decided that amnesiac company just wasn’t for you.”

“I wasn’t creeped out, just surprised. Also I never said anything about your company being bad.”

“Sure you weren’t,” Sabo rolled his eyes, making effort to sound as sarcastic as possible.

“I don’t think you know me well enough to make such assumptions, blondie,” Ace replied without missing a heartbeat, smirking in a challenging way.

God, it felt so familiar that Sabo was willing to scream at himself for being an amnesiac – a thing he’d no control over, but whatever, he could still try. Without even thinking it through, he firmly stopped in his tracks and waited for Ace to do the same, the latter catching onto Sabo’s wordless invitation only after he walked a few meters ahead, turning around to inspect what the holdup was. Sabo shivered in the cold, only now realizing that he’d foolishly left half of his clothes at the tavern and would inevitably have to walk back to retrieve them, and once he was certain that Ace was listening, he cleared his throat and said, “I may not know you right now, Ace, but we may have known each other at one point. We just don’t remember it because it’s just as you said – there are some things worth forgetting just as there are some worth holding onto. Perhaps we were two strangers passing each other by and I will never know if it’s true or not. And if we, by some chance, knew each other, we’ll never have another chance like this again. I’m not certain about a lot of things that my mind springs up on me, but for the bigger part of the evening – call it foolish intuition triggered by some warped sense or déjà vu or whatever – I’ve been wondering; have we met somewhere before?”

Silence lapsed and Sabo was becoming increasingly embarrassed over his choice of words, cheeks burning from shame. He’d just met this man a few hours ago and he was already making him uncomfortable with these weird, baseless assumptions. If Ace had truly known him all the way back then, if he was truly one of the missing ghosts that Sabo’s been chasing after, wouldn’t he have said something by now? Wouldn’t there be at least some recognition shining in his steely gaze?

Why was Sabo so hung up on it anyways? Was he expecting something? Was he disappointed that Ace wasn’t the missing piece he’d been searching for in order to see the bigger picture? Disappointed that his gut feeling had betrayed him, cruelly and without any mercy left to spare?

Of all the reactions he’d visualized, Sabo was completely unprepared for what came next. He was so busy wishing for the ground to crack open and swallow him whole that he startled at the unexpected bout of laughter. He stared Ace down, disbelieving, as the other gathered himself, huffing. “Man, talk about a coincidence. And here I was thinking that it might be something else.”

“I don’t understand?” Sabo stuttered, eyes still blown wide at the peculiar reaction.

Ace’s grin was brighter than the city lights, cheeks dimpling when he exclaimed, still shaking from light laughter, “It’s funny to hear you say that since I’ve been thinking the same thing the whole goddamn afternoon.”

Blue eyes observed the stranger come closer and Ace placed a comforting hand on Sabo’s shoulder, warming him through the thin white layer, comforting. He wanted to savor the touch for a little longer but it didn’t last because Ace had deemed his own boldness inappropriate and let his fingers slide off, rough fingertips brushing over Sabo’s bicep, making him shudder at the sensation. It was nice being treated with care – Koala had avoided such overfamiliar displays of affection and she was Sabo’s closest friend. “It sucks that I’ve nothing to offer you that could even remotely help you find yourself or spur on your memory, and that I’m not the one holding the key to unlocking your subconscious, but I genuinely hope that one day you meet the people who do. And if you don’t – I’m sure you’ll remember it on your own, Sano.” It took everything he had for Sabo to not correct Ace, confess that it wasn’t his name, his _real_ name. “As I mentioned, you look pretty strong. Don’t give up and you’ll make do,” he then awkwardly clapped Sabo’s shoulder a few more times, trying to keep it casual. Formal.

If it was a little upsetting, but Sabo didn’t let it show on his face. He was simply confused due to the mindfuck that he’d been going through, lost in his own feelings, more than a little touch-starved, or so Ace had accidentally proven over the course of the evening.

“You’re not really good at pep talks,” Sabo said with faux confidence, trying to keep it impersonal. If Ace noticed, he didn’t call him out, quickly playing along. Or perhaps he just couldn’t read people as well as he’d thought.

“Screw you, I tried,” Ace shrugged and once there was an acceptable amount of distance between them, he quickly brushed past Sabo. Only when he was halfway back to the tavern did he turn around and yell at the surprised blond, “first one to enter the tavern is the champion of pep talks,”

“That’s cheating,” Sabo yelled after the retreating figure and with another entertained huff he gave chase, tackling Ace by the entrance, earning some weirded out stares from the patrons exiting the premises for a smoke break.

He didn’t think how and why he knew all of the hidden places where Ace was ticklish as they wrestled on the front lawn, the drunks cheering both of them on.

* * *

 

Sabo woke up to insistent knocking on the door.

He didn’t have to fully open his eyes to know that it was Koala – her knuckles always made specific patterns whenever she wanted Sabo to hurry the hell up and join her asap – and let out a low, tortured groan.

Where the hell was he? Why was his head splitting open as though he’d unknowingly hit it against a sharp corner?

It took him a moment to take in his surroundings – he was back at the hotel room, safely tucked in the wide bed smelling of sawdust for reasons unknown. The sun had yet to properly rise outside, casting long shadows on the sparse furniture and making it all the more hard to see through the dimness.

First and foremost, Sabo smelled the unusual, lingering scent of alcohol and his stomach churned uncomfortably when he threw his legs over the edge of the bed, wiggling his naked toes.

When did he remove his boots? How’d he make his way back home, as plastered as he was?

He tried to remember the details, groaning loudly to reassure Koala that he was up and around, and waited for her to leave him alone, which she did as per usual. Sabo then flopped back down on his bed, one arm lazily patting at the lumpy sheets to locate his missing clothes. The morning chill seeped in through the open window, rustling the moth-eaten caramel-colored blinds and making goosebumps rise on Sabo’s naked arms.

His memory felt as though it had been wiped clean and not for the first time in his life, Sabo had promised himself to not touch alcohol ever again.

Sighing in defeat when Koala ran by his room once more and hissed an urgent “emergency” in order to force her companion to move faster, Sabo let his eyesight adjust to the dark. He spotted his haphazardly thrown boots and began pulling them on, stumbling forward because of his lack of balance. He noticed that his coat and vest were neatly placed on the back of a chair located by the table, along with his folded shirt. It was a bit weird to see since Sabo knew perfectly well that he was never a tidy drunk, throwing the particles of clothing every which way – the boots being a proof of that. Feeling very suspicious, Sabo stumbled to the clean desk, picking up the white shirt and then noticing that something was missing.

His cravat was gone.

His beloved hat was placed on the seat of the chair and once Sabo was done buttoning up the shirt peppered with suspicious smudges of unknown origin, something peculiar caught his eye. There was a folded note pushed into the gap between the black hat and goggles, sticking out like a sore thumb and impossible to miss.

Sabo carefully removed it, opened the blinds for more sunlight and unfolded the letter.

The cursive handwriting was messy to say the best, barely readable and hard to translate. Thankfully, Sabo had to deal with deciphering plenty of reports in the past so it wasn’t that difficult to make out the words.

_If you remember last night – congratulations. If not, please throw this out without making it awkward for both of us. I’ll be able to feel your embarrassment even when I’m not around. It’s like a hidden talent of mine._

_Sorry for bailing on you so suddenly. I’ve already completed all of the business that I had to attend to in this town and my ship’s been waiting for me for two days now. I had no time left to spare. The bastards would’ve set sail without me (it’s happened before, I didn’t want to risk it)_

_Thank you for the beer and good luck on your travels. You made my time here._

_\- Ace_

  
_P.S. Since we will more than likely never see each other again, I took it upon myself to take a souvenir. Your cravat is 100% not in your room. Also avoid drinking by yourself because wrestling you into the bed was not a fun experience._

Sabo let out a deep sigh, the memories of last night slowly beginning to surface in the back of his head, some more muddled than the others. He’d made a friend here, hadn’t he? A smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he got a serious case of fuzzies in his chest.

“Goodbye,” Sabo whispered to no one in particular, casting another longing look through the window, stiffening up when he discovered the distant smoke obscuring the beautiful morning hues bathing the tops of the canyons.

He rushed out of his room, grabbing the pipe placed by the wall and shoving the letter into the depths of his coat.

He’d think about it later.

-

The mass confusion and the fire spreading out to the southern districts of the neighborhood _that they_ _were supposed to be watching_ made Sabo forget all about his minor, insignificant encounters. Dawn was breaking when the officers had announced that the head of the mafia was found dead in his basement, his mansion set on fire, destroying the evidence inside.

Evidence they’d desperately needed to bring back to the base and show to Dragon.

It was labeled as a terrorist attack and abruptly blamed on the notorious pirates that were roaming Baltorei’s streets for more than two months now. Afterwards, the shock and terror quickly morphed into discreet joy at the death of the person who’d made so many lives miserable. Sure, Sabo felt like shit for failing his mission – one he was partially in charge of, no less – but he couldn’t help but feel happy for the people who were set free in the span of a single night. He could tell that Hack and Koala shared the sentiments, just as confused as the Chief of Staff.

“I wonder who was responsible for this,” Koala mused once they were out of the liberated town, choosing to return home via the canyon route as per Sabo’s request. The distance to the sea wasn’t that much longer in comparison to the forest road that they’d taken before.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on the reports of their findings,” Hack replied, head tilted upwards to admire the pink-hued tops of the rounded rocks. Sabo could’ve sworn that that he heard the Fishman whisper “fascinating”. “This incident only proves that Sir Dragon was correct about the spies. It just pains me to think about how our goals were stolen right from under our noses.”

“Well, we avoided the confrontation at least?” Koala shrugged, kicking a pebble that was in her way. “That counts for something.”

Sabo remained quiet, lost deep in thought, thus he didn’t notice his friend coming up to his side, her nose centimeters away from his exposed neck. She took in a whiff and immediately made an exaggeratedly disgusted face, pinching her nose. “Yuck! What were you doing last night!? Drinking yourself into a coma?”

Hack scowled in disapproval upon Koala’s conclusion and Sabo looked away guiltily, giving an awkward smile to ease the tension. “I was challenged to a drinking contest and let me tell you I wiped the floor with that man,” he lied, snorting at the memory of his epic loss.

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” Koala exclaimed, elbowing the blond’s ribs. “Last time I checked you couldn’t stomach more than three consecutive shots.”

“That was years ago!”

“And you didn’t get any practice since.”

“True,” Sabo grinned, pulling on the tip of Koala’s hat and pushing it low over her eyes, laughing when she sputtered indignantly. He then patted the pocket where Ace’s letter was safely kept, shielded from the rest of the world. _His secret_. “But no one needs to know that.”

He then gave one last lingering look at the last few carefully woven canyons, already seeing the thin strip of sea stretching out in the distance, the sight of it making something unravel within him.

They may not find each other again, but the sea was always there to connect people.

* * *

 

A few months later, Sabo lost Ace’s letter. A year afterwards he started forgetting his encounter, never having the time to recall it, but always keeping the precious memory with him.

After Sabo turned twenty two, he received the news and got back his memory.

Sometimes he wished he hadn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what happened before sabo woke up is up to you to decide ;)


End file.
